AN ANALYSIS OF TURKEY'S NEW SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE COPENHAGEN CRITERIA.

This paper analyzes the compatibility of the Turkish Republic's new system of government, accepted with the referendum on 16 April 2017, with the Copenhagen political criteria for accession to the European Union. The paper first studies systems of government and past systems of government in Turkey. While doing so, it briefly touchs upon the systems of government accepted by the Constitutions of 1876, 1921, 1924, and 1961, and then explore the system of government preceding the 2017 Referendum, as put forth by the Constitution of 1982. Following this, the paper analyzes the new system of government as accepted by the referendum of 16 April 2017, dubbed the "Turkish presidency system." Finally, the paper questions whether the new system of government is compatible with the political Copenhagen criteria, in particular the rule of law criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]